Ash and Misty's Repentance
by CuterThanCubone104
Summary: After defeat from the Unova League Ash continued to the Kalos region, where he was reunited with an old friend Serena, whom he develops a crush on. Misty became fed up with her depression as a result of being ignored from Ash in years, so she leaves Kanto in hopes of telling Ash how she truly feels about him, but what if she's too late by the time she reaches him?
1. Distressed Memories

"Guess I'll be going this way…"

"Yeah.."

"Take care Ash,"

"You too Misty,"

"Will I...see you again?"

"You will...I swear."

 **3 Years Later...**

"...and next up in the third round for the Vertress Conference is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, Kanto! He-!" Misty turned off the TV. Her older sisters sat upright. "Oh my gosh Misty! What are you doing turning off the TV like that? Ash's battle was about to start!" Daisy urged Misty to turn the TV back on. "I don't wanna watch…" Misty blankly replied. "Misty this is like the fifth Pokemon League he's been in, you have to support him." Lily demanded. "I don't care. I don't wanna watch." Misty repeated with no emotion. "Misty stop being over dramatic, he's like totally you're best friend-you can't just ignore him like that." Violet tried to persuade her.

Misty's blank cheeks turned red and tears began to fill her eyes as she stood up facing them. "I can't continue traveling because you all wanted to go on vacation huh. I can't leave Cerulean City because I'm the gym leader not you, huh. I can't just ignore him like that because I'm his friend, huh!" her voice began to get louder. "Here she goes again...why did you have to bring that up Violet?" Lily complained. "What? It's good for her to show some emotion. She's always been emotionless since Ash stopped talking to her." Violet argued. Misty's face flushed red and her voice began to crack.

"Yes you're right Violet." Misty admitted. "Ha see, I'm always right." Violet bragged. "You're right because in these past three years, while he's been traveling Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova with Brock and some other girls, I've been stuck here in Kanto, running an outdated gym, because all you guys wanna do is shop all day. I'm sick and tired of caring for people and getting nothing back it's like I don't matter to anyone since he left!" Misty yelled as she cried.

"Misty you know we care for y-" Daisy was cut off by Violet's palm in front of her face. "Not me! I stopped caring for her since she started crying everyday after we came back from vacation. 'Oh Ash I miss you so much! Ash when are you coming back? Ash why don't you talk to me?' It's just Ash, Ash, ASH you hear from her now! Just shut up and stop complaining like a little bitch Misty! Ugh!" Violet snapped.

The room stood silent. The other two sisters sat in suspense as Misty tried to fight the tears again. "What like you can leave? All your Pokemon are at the gym. You have nowhere to go, we are all you got." Violet said. Misty slowly turned around facing the door. "Go ahead, do it. I dare you." Violet pressured her. Misty couldn't hold it in anymore, after three lonely years, she broke. "I hate you Ash!" she screamed at the top of her lungs while she ran out the door.

Misty ran away covered with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't take it anymore! I'm sorry Horsea and all of you who I'm leaving behind, but I can't take it anymore! I need to get out of here!" she screamed as she ran out of Cerulean City crying. She didn't stop running until she ended up on the side of an abandoned route. The sky was cloudy and not one Pokemon let out a cry, it was completely silent.

Misty sat there with her arms hugging herself. She pouted as she thought,"Why...why did I ever let him go? I was so happy with him...it, it didn't even feel like two years...I loved him but...now he's gone." The water began to build up in her eyes again. "Why...why?!" she screamed as she broke down. "'I'll see you again someday Misty don't worry about it' why are you such a liar Ash?! You never called me once or responded to any of my letters. It's been three years with no sign of you it's almost like I'm dead to you!" Misty cried. "I miss you Ash...please I need you…" she pouted as she got up and walked to Saffron City.

 **. . .**

Iris and all of Ash's friends in Unova congratulated him on winning the third round at the Vertress Conference. "Thanks guys! It means a lot to me that all of you are here to support me." Ash thanked them. "Duh! Of course we're gonna support you!" Iris spoke. "Yeah, that's what friends are for Ash." Cilan added. Ash smiled at his friends, not thinking once about any of his other friends that were there from the beginning, and absolutely no thought of Misty.

Ash and the group went to the Pokemon Center after the qualification rounds were over to heal their Pokemon, and by that time it was already dusk."Ash!" Nurse Joy called. "Huh? Oh what is it Nurse Joy?" he asked. "Somebody called for you earlier right after your match against Stephen. I forgot her name, but I'm pretty sure the call was from Pallet Town, Kanto." Nurse Joy explained. "Oh! It was mom! I gotta call her back!" Ash exclaimed as he jolted from the group over to the PCs and began to dial for his mom.

"Wow it's been awhile since I've seen Ash that surprised." Cilan said. "Aw Ash misses his mommy!" Iris teased. Cilan and Iris laughed, but then Ash stopped dialing on the PC. "Actually, I was kinda hoping to talk to my mom alone…" Ash said as he turned around facing them. Both of them were surprised because that was the first time Ash asked for privacy during a phone call. "It's not that I don't trust you guys, it's just that-" Ash was interrupted by Cilan. "It's alright Ash, we understand." "Yeah, you can take as long as you want; we'll be waiting for you over there!" Iris told him. Ash smiled once more as he hit the call button, "Thanks you guys, you're the best." The two walked away and Ash was alone.

The call began almost instantaneously when half of Delia's face automatically popped up on Ash's PC screen. "Ash!" she cheered. "Gah! Hi mom...not to be rude but, what's wrong with your face?" Ash asked at the corrupted image of his mother. "Oh Ash! It's the connection we have on our PC at home, it's not strong like the Pokemon Center's to reach you all the way in Unova but I just wanted to congratulate my little boy on making it so far in the Vertress Conference!" Delia replied. "Oh, and thanks mom, I can't believe I just made it to the final rounds." Ash admitted. Delia's face cleared up and she smiled, "Yay it looks like we have a good connection now! Ash I just want you to know that no matter what rank you place you'll always be a winner to me." she encouraged him. "Thanks mom, I wouldn't of made it this far if it weren't for my friends too." Ash looked over his shoulder to see Cilan and Iris sitting in the distance. "Oh that reminds me Ash! Someone important wanted to talk to you!" Delia implied. "Really! Someone else too!?" Ash got excited. "Yeah! He's right he-!" a tan hand pushed Delia out of the screen. "Is it Ash?! Out of my way! Oops… sorry …" Brock apologized. "The nerve of you!" Delia said in the background as she left the room.

"Brock!" Ash chanted. "Hey there future champ! How you feeling about the Unova League?" Brock asked. "Oh it was a tough start, but you know I'm just hoping for the best." Ash admitted. "Well I saw that battle against your Krookodile and Sawk and oh boy, Unova seems a lot tougher than any of the other leagues we've been to!" Brock added. "Yeah, I was worried that all my hard work was gonna end right there!" Ash said. "Yeah but as always, you pulled through! Congrats Ash," Brock congratulated him. "Thanks Brock, it means a lot to me that you're still there for me." Ash thanked him also.

Just as Ash was about to say goodbye and end the call, Brock shouted "WAAIIIIT! I almost forgot!" Ash jumped out then back into his seat. "Brock don't scare me like that!" "Sorry Ash, it's just something really important...it's just you listening now, right?" Brock whispered. "Yeah, why? Is it that serious?" Ash asked. "It depends on how you look at it…have you talked to Misty recently?" Brock asked. Ash was astonished as he finally remembered her. "No Brock, the last time I seen her was when we were in Hoenn with May and Max. Actually that was the last time I ever talked to her." Ash said. Brock sighed. "What why? Is something wrong with her?" Ash became paranoid. "Well, I'm not sure…" Brock admitted. "What happened to her?!" Ash yelled. Everyone in the Pokemon Center stared at him, then looked away. "What happened?" Ash asked once again, but calmly. Brock leaned closer to the PC screen.

"That's the thing! I don't know what happened to Misty...She was the first person I visited when I left you and Dawn once I came back to Kanto, but she seemed less bubbly than she used to be." Brock began. "What, are you trying to tell me that she's changed?" Ash asked. "What? No that's just the beginning. I felt bad seeing her like that so I thought 'Hey why not ask her to come with me to Ash's house to watch him during the Unova League,' but when I called her house, her sisters picked up and said that she ran away." Brock continued. "She ran away!? That's insane!" Ash whispered.

"Hold on, it gets even crazier! I was worried too, but then I thought 'Maybe she went to Ash's house to wait for him to come home from Unova,' but when I got here your mom said that she was there last time after the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh. Your mom told me that Misty left the day before you came home and told her to never to tell you that she was there." Brock explained. "What? Incredible...I can't believe that Misty cared about me that much to wait for me...but then leave…" Ash's voice trailed off. "Well according to your mom that wasn't the first time she waited for you." Brock added. Ash was surprised, "Wah?! You mean there were other times too!? And I'm barely finding out about this now!?" Ash screamed again. Everyone in the Pokemon Center stared at him again, but this time Cilan and Iris began to walk over towards Ash.

The PC screen began to get pixilated again. "Ash I think I'm starting to lose connection over here," Brock said. "No Brock you can't go now! I need to talk to you and Misty!" Ash yelled causing Cilan and Iris to walk over to him even faster. "Ash the conne-...isn't workin-" Brock's voice became laggy. "No Brock no! Tell me more! I need to know more about her!" Ash shouted as he shook the PC screen while Cilan and Iris arrived at his side. "Ash you need to calm down..." Iris pleaded. "Yeah I think it's best if you just ended the call right now." Cilan tried to convince Ash. The PC screen became more pixilated, "No no! I need to know! Talk to me Brock!" Ash roared as he continued to shake the screen. "Ash…losing you…" Brock's voice became more robotic.

"Brock where did she go!?" Ash yelled as water began to fill his eyes. Iris and Cilan grabbed his arms to prevent him from shaking the PC screen furthemore. "Ash you need to calm down!" Cilan demanded. "Brock! Tell me!" Ash yelled. "Ash let go of the screen!" Cilan yelled as he struggled to pull him away from the PC. "Ash please stop!" Iris begged. "Iris go call the others," Cilan told her. She nodded and ran away."..good….bye Ash-" the screen became engulfed in static." Ash broke free of Cilan's grip. "How long has she been gone?!" Ash shouted at the screen full of static. "Ash there's no one there!" Cilan yelled while he attempted to pull Ash away from the PC. "No he's not! He can still hear me! Brock where is she!" Ash yelled louder as his voice began to crack. "Ash stop it right now!" Cilan urged him to come to his senses, but Ash couldn't, after finally realizing how much he meant to Misty, he just couldn't.

"He's over there!" Iris pointed to Ash as Cameron and Stephen ran towards a struggling Cilan, with Virgil and Bianca trailing them. "What on earth happened to Ash?" Bianca stopped and asked Iris. "I don't know, he was talking to his friend alone then he just started freaking out saying stuff like 'Where is she? How long has she been gone?' We tried to stop him but he just won't snap out of it." Iris explained, meanwhile the other three guys caught up to Cilan and Ash.

"Brock what happened to Misty!?" Ash continued. Stephan and Cameron got a hold of Ash too and began to pull him away from the PC with Cilan. "Ash nobody is there!" Cilan yelled. "No no! You're wrong!" Ash argued while Stephen picked him up and put him over his shoulder. The pixelated screen grew smaller in the distance as Stephen walked out of the Pokemon Center with Virgil following him. "Ash! It's over!" Virgil tried to convince him. "No he's there I know it!" the tears began to drip out of his eyes.

Stephen dropped Ash in a patch of grass in an empty courtyard under the night sky. Ash tried to get up and run back into the Pokemon Center, but Virgil pushed him back down and kept him down. Stephen walked back inside with the others."Ash listen to me!" Virgil shouted, but Ash continued to yell for Brock while more tears dripped out of his brown eyes. "ASH!" Virgil roared one final time as he forced Ash to sit upright. Ash stood silent with his bottom lip trembling and tears building up in his eyes. Virgil peered into Ash's watery eyes as he softly yet swiftly laid his hands on Ash's shoulders. "It's okay...you let it out." Virgil spoke. Ash's face squinted as more tears trailed down his cheeks. He looked up at the sky with his eyes closed. "Misty!" Ash screeched and fell forward into Virgil's arms, where Virgil hugged and comforted him. "Misty!" Ash cried with all the tears pouring out. "There there...let it all out." Virgil patted Ash's back.

Ash sat there in Virgil's arms, sobbing and calling out Misty's name, regretting that he never took the chance with her. In his dejection, he vowed to tell her how he truly felt about her whenever they would cross paths again.

After crying for nearly an hour, Ash returned to Tower A and went to his room on the third floor where he rested for the following day at the Unova League. But before he fell asleep with the image of Misty in his memories, he heard a soft voice call out his name. "Huh? Is that you Iris?" Ash asked in a low voice. "Yeah...sorry if I woke you up." Iris apologized. "No, I was just trying to fall asleep, which you should do too." Ash replied. "Yeah, I guess so...goodnight Ash." Iris said from her bed. "Goodnight Iris," Ash said from his bed too. The room was silent with Cilan and Iris asleep. Ash quietly stood up from his bed and made his way to the balcony from their room, where Pikachu followed him.

Ash leaned on the rails while Pikachu sat on top. He looked at the stars remembering how he would look at them the same way he did when he and Misty traveled together.

"What are you doing sleeping out here Misty when you have a tent?"

"I always liked looking at the stars, haven't you ever noticed how beautiful they look in rural areas like this away from city lights? They're gorgeous."

"Hm? Actually, I don't think I ever have."

"Well in that case you should come sit and gaze at them with me."

"Alright…"

"What do you think of them?"

"They are actually really pretty. I never would've known how different they looked away from cities."

"Yeah. I always thought since I was little if there were more Pokemon to discover out there."

"Ha, who would've guessed that you Misty could think,"

"Take that back!"

"Ow don't hit me! I was just teasing…why do you always have to be so mean to me?"

"Sorry Ash, and...I don't know. I guess that's just the way we work. We'll yell at each other, tease each other, and pass the other's boiling point, but in the end...we'll still love each other. It'll always be like that Ash…"

Ash smiled at the memory. "Yeah, we still loved each other." he spoke then looked over to Pikachu. "You liked Misty a lot too, huh Pikachu." Ash asked his partner. "Pika pika." "Sounds like she was really something else," Iris spoke. "Gah!" Ash jumped and saw Iris standing behind him on the balcony. "How long have you been there!?" Ash asked. "Only when you talked to Pikachu...and yourself…" Iris admitted. Ash turned away and looked back at the stars. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just wanted to talk." Iris said. "Well come over here then," Ash motioned for her to stand next to him on the rail of the balcony, which she did.

"...so her name is Misty?" Iris asked. Ash smiled, "Yeah. Her name is Misty." "...was she your girlfriend?" Iris asked. Ash thought for a moment, "In a way it felt like it, but we never confirmed it." Ash explained. "What was she like?" Iris continued to ask. Ash smiled at the image of Misty in his head. "She was beautiful. She had orange hair, silky smooth skin, and eyes the color of the ocean." Ash dreamily said. Iris smiled, "Why did you guys split then?" Ash sighed, "Well she had to go back home to help her family, but instead of waiting for her I just rushed to another region to travel and, that's the way it's been for the past three years. I figured that she forgot about me or didn't care but during that phone call earlier, I found out that she still does care...so I felt bad for forgetting about her." Ash confessed.

Iris placed her hand on Ash's shoulder. "I know it might be tough dealing with all that right now during the Vertress Conference, but once it's over you'll feel better when you're back with her as a champion." Iris tried to encourage him. Ash smiled, "Thanks Iris...I just hope that none of this affects how my battle against Cameron is gonna go." Ash admitted. "Don't worry Ash you'll be great. I think you should get some rest though because I myself am pretty tired, so I'll be heading back to bed. Goodnight Ash." Iris said. "Yeah, I'll be going too." Ash replied.

"Hey Iris,"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for talking to me."

Iris smiled, "Anything for a friend Ash. Night."

"Night."


	2. Misty's Pursuit

"All aboard for Goldenrod City. Departure in one minute. Thank you for riding the Magnet Train!" Misty walked into the train and took a seat. The doors shut and Saffron City quickly became a distant memory. "This is your host letting you know that we'll arrive in Goldenrod City shortly. Thank you for riding the Magnet Train!"

Misty gazed out the tinted window watching all the trees rapidly pass by. She moved her eyes to the same red backpack she used when she traveled with Brock and Ash. Out of the backpack, she pulled out the red hat Ash used to make such a big deal about when they first started traveling. Misty ran her fingers over some of the stitches that came undone throughout the years. "...liar…"

The voice came over the intercom again. "We have arrived in Goldenrod City, thank you for riding the Magnet Train!" Misty grabbed Ash's old hat and placed it on her head as she walked off the bullet train, coming one step closer to Ash.

 **. . .**

The crowd roared as Ash's battle was about to begin. "C'mon Ash! You can do it!" his friends yelled from the stands. All of Ash's friends cheered for him and Cameron to do their best, but Ash didn't hear anything. As much as he loved being in the final rounds at the Vertress Conference with everyone cheering him on, he never felt lonelier than before.

"Hey Ash!" Cameron yelled to him from across the battlefield. "Huh? Yeah Cameron?" he yelled back. "Good luck!" Cameron waved to him. Ash smiled, "Good luck to you too Cameron!" "Hope you don't think that last night is gonna make me go easy on you!" Cameron teased. Ash snapped out of his remorse for Misty. "Ha! In your dreams! I'm in this to win this!" Ash shouted. "We'll see about that! Don't forget I have my secret weapon right here! Go!-Hydreigon!"

 **. . .**

Misty boarded the plane for Unova. "Thank you for choosing the Goldenrod Airline! Departure for Mistralton City, Unova will commence in 5 minutes!"

Misty boarded the plane and her mid-back length hair got caught on the door leading to the first class area so she tugged at it causing a few strands to rip out. "Stupid hair!" She walked into the first class area and sat down. Seated next to her was a young male in a dark gray suit, with light steel blue hair. He turned towards her. "Good afternoon miss," the man spoke.

Misty looked up towards him, ignoring all the thoughts racing through her mind about Ash. She noticed that he had blue eyes similar to hers. "Oh, hello." Misty faked a smile. "You seem...uneasy." he said. Misty felt uncomfortable with the stranger's approach. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" she asked. The man smiled. "How rude of me not to introduce myself; I apologize. My name is Steven Stone, and you are?" she thought to herself. "I'm Misty." she introduced herself.

Steven sat upright as the plane took off. "Your name sounds very familiar to me...are you a gym leader?" he pondered. Misty gasped, "Y-yes. Well, I was the gym leader of Cerulean City, but...how did you know?" she asked. Steven smiled, "As champion of the Hoenn League, it's noble to recognize the fellow gym leaders of the regions surrounding." he stated. Misty eased her tension and relaxed. "Oh how silly of me not to recognize you Steven. I'm sorry for coming off a bit rude, it's just been a crazy night." she apologized. Steven gently rested his hand on hers as he crept closer. "It's okay. A beautiful lady like you shouldn't have to feel sorry for herself." he whispered into her ear. He began to run his fingers gently through her scalp. "You have long beautiful hair, it's almost as gorgeous as your eyes." Misty's cheeks turned red and the smell of wine slithered up her nose. She slowly pulled her hand away from Steven's. "Heh, thank you…" Steven got the message and backed away.

"So what's bringing you to the Unova region?" Steven asked. Misty sighed with a smile, "It's a long story." Steven turned on his side to completely face her. "We've got plenty of time." he smiled. Misty blushed, "How...how can I trust you?" she questioned. Steven gazed into her eyes and said "You don't have to. I'm all ears for you Misty and swear never to speak a word of what you tell me to another living soul."

Misty leaned back into her chair and began to reminisce. "It all started when I left home five years ago trying to prove to my older sisters that I could become the world's greatest water Pokemon trainer. I was fishing when I thought I caught something, but it was just a boy. In two years, me and that boy traveled through Kanto, the Orange Archipelago, and Johto with another friend. I developed feelings for him and we both shared almost the same dream. Sadly, after we finished traveling Johto I was forced to give up my dream of becoming the world's best water Pokemon trainer and had to go back to Cerulean City to run the gym. He still wanted to chase his dream of becoming a Pokemon master, so he traveled to other regions and challenged their Pokemon Leagues while I stood in Kanto, waiting for him. I never had the guts to tell him how I truly felt about him, so I guess that's why he never visited or talked to me after our journey, but now I'm ready to tell him everything- that's why I'm traveling to Unova."

Steven tilted his head and sat silent for a minute, alarming Misty by making her think that she bored him with her story. "Oh I'm sorry for boring you Steven, I didn't mean for the story to be that long it's just that I-" she was stopped by Steven's finger placed over her lip. "Nonsense my dear. I was simply observing the way your aura changed. You appear much less stressed now than when you first sat here." Steven said. Misty tilted her head also, "My...my what?" she asked.

Steven placed his hand over his head. "How could I have forgotten! Aura is the atmosphere that surrounds a soul, emitting the being's personality in colors. For example, an aura that's mad would be red, if sad then blue, and so forth. It's just something I picked up from one of my Pokemon-Lucario." Steven explained. Misty nodded to show that she understood what he said.

"Lucario? So you specialize in fighting types?" she asked. Steven laughed, "No I specialize in steel Pokemon. I'm not carrying Lucario on me right now but I do have a few other Pokemon. Speaking of which, what Pokemon do you have on hand right now?" Steven asked. Misty put her head down in shame. "At the moment...none…" she admitted. Steven's eyes opened wide in astonishment, "What!? Oh, of course! You must have them all stored in your PC and will withdraw them once you arrive in Unova." Misty shook her head. "I left them all at the gym in Cerulean City, so I don't have access to any at all and I don't know how I'm going to travel safely without them." she whined. Steven placed his hand on his chin and snapped his fingers. "I have a resolution! Why not let you borrow one of my Pokemon until you are able to access your Pokemon again? Just to keep you safe for the duration of your journey to your friend." Steven suggested. "Would you really do that for me Steven?" Misty asked. Steven smiled. "Absolutely."

 **. . .**

The sweat traveled down Ash's face as he withdrew Snivy. "Alright Pikachu! You're up!" he ordered Pikachu to go next against Cameron's newly evolved Lucario, both of their last Pokemon going up against each other for the win. _Dam, how is Pikachu gonna win against an opponent stronger than him? Don't think negatively-Pikachu will do great,_ Ash thought to himself upon calling Pikachu out to the field.

In a matter of time, Cameron's Lucario defeated Ash's Pikachu and eliminated him from proceeding furthermore in the Vertress Conference.

 **. . .**

The plane landed in Mistralton City, Unova. Together, Misty and Steven went to the Pokemon Center as first priority. They placed their Pokedex's into the PC and within a minute, Steven lended one of his Pokemon to Misty. "What Pokemon is this?" Misty asked holding the pokeball in her hand. "It's my Lucario, one of the most powerful Pokemon I possess. I trust you enough to return him someday." Misty smiled at Steven as she held the Pokeball to her heart. "Thank you."

They walked out the Pokemon Center into the snow. "Sure is cold out here." Misty complained. "Well Mistralton City is one of the coldest cities in the region… and you are wearing shorts." Steven teased. Misty smirked at the comment then smiled. Steven removed his coat and placed it over Misty's shoulders. "...thank you…" she blushed.

The two continued to walk through the city. "Oh yeah I forgot to ask you, what brings you to Unova?" Misty asked. "I've always had a hobby of collecting stones and I haven't explored a few caves in Unova yet, so I'm hoping to find some new stones there." Steven replied. Misty nodded and they continued to walk until they reached the edge of the city where an empty route laid ahead.

"They say Route 7 is the fastest way to reach Vertress City. If you want to see that boy by tomorrow night I would suggest for you to start walking soon." Steven said. Misty hesitantly asked, "Will I...see you again? I just-!...don't want you to lose your Lucario..." Steven smiled and nodded, "No need for you to be shy and make excuses. You can always find me at my home in Mossdeep City, Hoenn. I'm sure we'll meet again someday."

Steven said. They walked to the route entry. "You sure?" Misty asked one last time. "Positive." Steven promised while placing his hands on his coat that covered Misty's shoulders. "Well we both should be going now, or we'll stand here talking all day." Steven implied to Misty. "Yeah..." Misty's voice trailed off. "Take good care of Lucario for me." Steven said. "I will…goodbye Steven" "Goodbye Misty."

Just as Steven turned around and walked a few steps back to the city, he felt Misty grab his left wrist with her hands. Puzzled, he turned and his heart raced at the sight of her blushing face. She held onto his wrist as she stepped on her tiptoes and leaned forward slowly. Steven froze. Time stood still for the two as she leaned towards his face and softly kissed him on his cheek. She left her lips there for a few seconds before drawing back slowly without speaking a word. Steven blushed and before he could say anything, Misty dashed off into the route, in pursuit to find the man she loved.

 **. . .**

Ash scurried to the Pokemon Center before anybody could reach him. _I have to call Brock back, I just have to-before any of them find me._ Ash went to the PC and phoned home. The PC rang a couple of times until it answered.

"Hello Ash, is that you already?" Professor Oak greeted him. "Yes-hello! Professor Oak! Is Brock there!?" he asked. "Brock...brock… Ah yes! The young lad is here! I should tell you though : he did quite a bit of damage to your mother yesterday when he pushed her but-" "Can you get him on the PC right now!?" Ash cut off the professor. Professor Oak sighed, "Yes, I'll call him over right now. Brock!... _the nerve of some people..._ "

Ash waited for a few seconds before Brock came to the PC. "Brock!" Ash cheered. "Hey kid! I'm sorry about your loss right now, that must be-" "Have you heard anything from Misty?!" Ash shouted. Brock paused, "...no, I haven't…" The call quickly became silent. "Don't blame yourself for this Ash, I'm sure she's doing just fine wherever she is." Brock tried to comfort him. Ash nodded. "I think for now it'll just be best for you to ignore the thought of Misty. If I hear anything about her I'll be sure to let you know. Okay?" "Yeah, whatever you say Brock."

The call stood silent again before Brock spoke. "You sure you're gonna be able to forget about Misty for a while?" Brock asked. "Who her? Oh yeah! Definitely!" Ash said. "That's good to hear that you're forgetting about her for now! I'm real proud of you Ash!" Brock replied. "Yeah, me too. Because I'm forgetting everything about her and everybody that has anything to do with her. I'm sorry Brock, I have to move on." Ash stated before hanging up. "Ash no wait-!" the call ended.

"There he is!" Cilan yelled. All of Ash's friends came running into the Pokemon Center. _Good timing guys, you get to say goodbye._ "We were worried sick about you!" Iris yelled. Ash stood up, "Sorry guys! I just wanted to heal all my Pokemon as soon as possible!" Ash lied. "Well thank goodness you're fine! C'mon let's go watch the rest of the-" Bianca paused when she noticed at the same time as everyone else that Ash had his traveling bag over his shoulder (along with Pikachu).

"Ash, are you leaving to your room already?" Iris asked. Ash laughed. "No, I'm not leaving to my room-I'm leaving Unova." he stated. Everyone gasped. "What! You're crazy! Why Ash!" they all asked. Ash turned to face a map of the Unova region on the Pokemon Center's wall. He took a breath before speaking. "After all that we've been through here in Unova, I'm happy now looking back on it. I have no regrets and I wouldn't of changed a second of it. But after that call last night, and the way it affected me...I'd just prefer to leave now to try and forget about it. I want to move on." Ash said. _It's not just that I want to forget about, I want to forget about Misty-for good._

"But you can't leave Ash! The tournament isn't even over and-!" Bianca's complaint was cut off by Virgil's arm in front of her. "Leave it Bianca. It's Ash's decision to choose what he wants to do. If this is what he wants, then that's his choice, and we should respect that." Virgil stated. Ash smiled at Virgil as he began to make his way towards the Pokemon Center's exit, while all his friends watched him walk away. "Thank you all...really-I mean it. I'll come back someday; someday when my dream comes true." Ash thanked them one final time and left.

Within an hour, Ash flew on Unfezant to Mistralton City and boarded a plane for the Kalos region.

 **. . .**

"Almost there...I can see the city lights! Amazing that running all the way from Mistralton City to here took only a few hours of running nonstop. Sure I'm exhausted, but it's all worth it to see Ash tonight. Bleh, I just had to kiss that Steven guy! Well, it wasn't that bad...I just wanted to make him happy and show my gratitude. I can't believe he likes me! The Hoenn Champion likes me! Such a nice guy, too bad my heart belongs to Ash. Ash! At long last I get to see my Ash! I can almost feel him!" Misty spoke to herself upon arriving at Vertress City at night.

She ran into the Pokemon Center and went straight to the front desk. "Welcome to the Vertress City Pokemon Center! How may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked. "Hi I was wondering if you could tell me what room number Ash Ketchum is staying in? I'm an old friend of his and I came all the way from Kanto to congratulate him!" Misty lied. Nurse Joy smiled. "Aw how sweet! Sure thing let me look up his information and...he's staying in room 214 in Tower A on the third floor!" Nurse Joy confirmed. "Thank you Nurse Joy!"

Misty walked to the exit until the PCs caught her attention. _Maybe I can give Brock a call to hear his opinion before I go and see Ash. It'll also give me time to catch my breath._ She walked towards the PCs and removed Ash's hat and carefully placed it inside her bag. She sat down and dialed for Pewter City, Kanto. She shortly found out from Brock's siblings that he went to Ash's house to watch him during the Unova League, so she dialed for Pallet Town. After a few rings, the call started.

"Brock!" Misty cheered. "Misty! It's you!?Oh my gosh your hair grew long!" Brock was surprised. "Yeah, it's so nice to talk to you Brock!" she felt relieved. "Misty I was so worried about you! I heard you ran away and didn't know what to think!" Brock admitted. _Yeah, and I don't know how I'm gonna break your heart about Ash_ , Brock thought. "Oh I'm perfectly fine, thanks for caring!" she thanked him. _Crap! She looks so happy I don't wanna tell her about Ash._ "Well it's good to know that you're okay. Anyways, where are you right now?" he asked. "Oh I came all the way to Vertress City in Unova to talk to Ash! I wanna tell him my true feelings!" Misty cheerfully confessed. _Uh-oh. She just got over there after Ash left!? Oh what timing! What do I do what do I do?! Should I break her heart now and watch her drown in her misery or should I let her find out on her own and feel guilty about not telling her...think Brock, THINK!_

"Heeey I noticed you got a new coat on Misty!" Brock tried to change the subject. Misty looked down at Steven's coat she was wearing. "Oh yeah I forgot I was wearing this! It belongs to Steven. Steven Stone, that is." she told him. "WHAT!? Steven Stone as in the Hoenn League Champion!?" Brock was surprised. "Yeah chill out man! I met him on the airplane ride over here and we talked a lot and...he was a really sweet guy." she admitted. "Do you not know how lucky you are!?" he shouted. "No...why?" Misty asked.

Brock facepalmed as he began. "Steven Stone is the Hoenn League Champion, as you already know. However, one of his Pokemon passed a few months back and ever since then he's been in an endless depression due to the death of his companion. As a result, he isolated himself from the world and never spoke to anyone but his father, , who had to call Wallace to replace Steven temporarily as the Hoenn League Champion-just until Steven snapped out of his depression." he concluded. "As crazy as that story sounds, how do you know all that Brock?!" Misty questioned him. "Well he held a giant funeral for his Pokemon in Hoenn and invited all the gym leaders from Johto and Kanto too-didn't you get an invitation?" he asked. Misty's face boiled up. "No! My sisters took it and said it was for an old man in Hoenn and told me that I didn't want to go!" she yelled. _Oops...change the subject again Brock, change the subject!_

"Anyways, he's been antisocial ever since and it's a surprise that he actually talked to you, let alone gave you his coat." he tried to change the subject. "Yeah, he kinda had a thing for me. He even let me borrow one of his Pokemon." Misty blushed. Brock smiled, _yep, you're real slick Brock-o. Aw, why can't I get a girl as easily as he did?..._ "Wow he gave you his coat and one of his Pokemon? Impressive Misty, I'm surprised you didn't fall for him and forget about Ash!" Misty bounced up. "Ash! I almost forgot that I was gonna go see him! I'll talk to you later Brock! I just have to go right now!" Misty cheered as she hung up. She ran out of the Pokemon Center and dashed towards Tower A. Brock sighed, _poor Misty. I wonder how she's gonna take the news._

Misty didn't stop running until she came across Tower A. She took the elevator to the third floor and paused outside room 214. "Okay Misty, this is it. Ash is right behind this door. Oh I can't wait to see him! What will I say when he opens the door? Or what if somebody else opens the door? I'll just find out for myself; here I come Ash!" Misty spoke to herself outside the door. She knocks and Iris opens the door.

"Hi! My name is Misty! Is Ash here!?" she cheerfully asked even though she knew the answer, or at least she thought she knew… Every hair on Iris's body stood up upon hearing that. _What!? Are you kidding me, she JUST shows up after Ash leaves?! Oh what to do!_ "Hey Cilan! There's a girl at the door asking for Ash...for Ash!" Iris yells. Cilan walks over to the door confused. "Hm?" Misty introduces herself again.

"Hi um...I'm Misty and I was wondering if I could talk to Ash?" she asked one final time. Cilan's pupils dilated, _Misty!? The one Ash was hollering about yesterday?! She's here now?! What the hell does Iris expect me to tell her?!_ Cilan cleared his throat. "Axew.." Iris's Pokemon covered its ears.

"Well you see Misty...shortly after Ash lost his battle today, he sort of...flew away on his Pokemon...saying that it was time for him to 'move on'..." Everyone's heart skipped a beat. Misty's smile faded away and tears quickly built in her eyes. "You mean...I was too late? I was too late again?" all of Misty's bright hopes and dreams shattered in that one moment upon hearing of Ash's dismissal. She dropped to her knees and her depression quickly returned and consumed her instantaneously. "...why...why Ash...Why!?"

 **. . .**

After arriving in Kalos the following day, Ash met a young genius named Clemont and his younger sister Bonnie. In a few days, they traveled with Ash to the Santalune City Gym, where Ash challenged the gym leader. Upon defeat, a young female named Serena walked up to Ash.

"Ash...do you remember me?"


End file.
